Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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“Remember, Vera reminds herself, your ass is bad. Very bad. And that is a good thing.”

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) - Vera Wong #2 by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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I often make mystery comparisons to one of the greats, Angela Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote. But it’s not a comparison I make lightly, because that show and character brings me ALL the joy, and so does this book. So, this is Jessica Fletcher, if she was a 60 year old Chinese tea shop owner in San Francisco who knows more and better than anyone else. Whereas Jessica is subtle, Vera is anything but. She is pushy, demanding, and downright insulting, but the found […]

The Obelisk Gate: Things get worse before they get better (I hope)

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

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Possible spoilers for The Fifth Season – Proceed with awareness. The Obelisk Gate is the second book in the Broken Earth Trilogy. In this installment, we follow two main stories – Essun and Nassun after each has arrived at a new, but separate, comm and the years that follow. Nassun is Essun’s daughter. Nassun had been taken by her father, Jija, after he murdered her little brother, Uche. We heard of them in the first book, but we officially meet them as they travel south […]

“But I am not the heroine of a novel.”

The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 1 by Beth Brower

The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 2 by Beth Brower

The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 3 by Beth Brower

The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 4 by Beth Brower

The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 5 by Beth Brower

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Although she is, in fact, the heroine of a novel, the fact is that Ms. Emma Lion, of The Unselected Journals of Emma M.Lion, Vol 1-5, feels like flesh & blood, throughout every moment & page of these books.  Everything she goes through, even the most absurd, has an aura of authenticity that has me willingly following her into places – and emotions – I would not ordinarily, voluntarily venture. Her author, Ms. Beth Brower, has packed these pages full of wisdom and wit unexpected in […]

Be careful what you wish for

Ghoul by Kasey Iris

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After finishing my online reader copy of Ghoul by Kasey Iris (sent to me via an email from the publisher; due May 2026) I was not sure if I liked it or not. I know I didn’t dislike it, but I’m not sure how much I liked it. And, in this case, that is not a bad thing. This is a thoughtful and interesting story on grief, family and pain. Each character is dealing with secrets, heartache, and lack of understanding. The characters are seemingly […]

Look out! Here comes Spider-man and friends!

Spidey and His Amazing Friends: Teamwork Saves the Day!: My First Comic Reader! (Spidey and His Amazing Friends, My First Comic Reader!, Level 3) by Steve Behling, Giovanni Rigano, Antonello Dalena, Cristina Giorgilli, Cristina Stella, Dario Calabria, Lucio de Guiseppe and Marvel Press Book Group

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Working in a bookstore has some major perks. One is free books (for various reasons). And recently I found Spidey and His Amazing Friends: Teamwork Saves the Day!: My First Comic Reader! (Spidey and His Amazing Friends, My First Comic Reader!, Level 3) by Steve Behling, Giovanni Rigano, Antonello Dalena, Cristina Giorgilli, Cristina Stella, Dario Calabria, Lucio de Guiseppe and Marvel Press Book Group. I thought it would be a fun, quick read for me and something I could share with my oldest nephew.  It […]

Intersectionality in the 1950s

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

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This coming-of-age novel showcases the intersection of ethnicity and sexuality against the recurring backdrop of McCarthyism. It appears to have been meticulously researched, which I appreciate. The novel centers on Lily Hu during the first half of her senior year in high school. She becomes closer to her classmate Kath while starting to discover her sexuality. Meanwhile, there are some concerns about the government’s interest in her father. The plot will likely resonate with readers of all ages, but especially YA readers who tend to […]



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